PROFILE BY BEST RESTAURANTS
The satisfying thing about this menu are its prices. While dishes may not venture from the mainstream they will certainly please your purse. Other niceties to be found are Thai silks and antique phones hung on the walls. The latter are odd to encounter in a Thai restaurant but their curious presence makes them even more appealing. A procession of jade and gold statuettes on the fireplace, however, exude a traditional atmosphere. Recent extensions have added a contemporary space to the restaurant with dark brown, vinyl high-back chairs and linen clad tables that suit corporate and event gatherings. The original dining room is more ornate in style with plump-cushioned wooden chairs and a twinkling chandelier. The windows look into a courtyard with plastic outdoor settings. It serves as a space for energetic young diners to socialise while mum and dad sit down to eat.
The menu is streamlined by listing meats and seafood available with a dozen curry and saucing options in opposed to the repetitiveness of some 200-dish long Asian menus. One, two or three chillies thoughtfully indicate how much bang you'll get for your buck. Squid stir-fried with basil leaves and red chilli paste is likely to put fire in your belly so if you can't stand the heat, perhaps opt for the sweet creaminess of choo chee fish. Massaman beef curry packed with potatoes and rich roasted peanuts is the chef's curry special. After one of these, limited desserts may be a blessing but consider sticky rice for a comforting end to your Manee Siam meal.
Roz Taylor